The present invention is related to treating an effluent gas from a process chamber.
Fluorocarbon, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrocarbon, and other fluorine containing gases are used in, or formed as a byproduct during, the manufacture of integrated circuits in process chambers. Many of these gases are toxic to humans and hazardous to the environment. In addition, they may also absorb infrared radiation and have high global warming potentials. Especially notorious are persistent fluorinated compounds or perfluorocompounds (PFCs) which are long-lived, chemically stable compounds that have lifetimes often exceeding thousands of years. Some examples of PFCs are carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), hexafluoroethane (C2F6), perfluorocyclobutane (C4F8), difluoromethane (CH2F2), perfluorocyclobutene (C4F5), perafluoropropane (C3F8), trifluoromethane (CHF3), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), carbonyl fluoride (COF2) and the like. For example, CF4 has a lifetime in the environment of about 50,000 years and can contribute to global warming for up to 6.5 million years. Thus it is desirable to have an apparatus or method can reduce the hazardous gas content of an effluent gas, and especially the PFCs, that may be released from the process chambers.
Perfluorocompounds are utilized in numerous semiconductor fabrication processes. For example, perfluorocompounds are used in the etching of layers on substrates, such as oxide, metal and dielectric layers. Perfluorocompounds can also be used during chemical vapor deposition processes. Additionally, process chambers can be cleaned of etch or deposition residue using perfluorocompounds. These hazardous compounds are either introduced into a process chamber or are formed as byproducts within the process chamber and may be exhausted from the chamber in an effluent gas stream.
It is desirable to minimize the introduction of such harmful gases and byproducts into the environment. It is also desirable to minimize the harmful content of the effluent gas released into the atmosphere in an efficient manner. There is a further need to reduce PFC and other harmful gases to low levels especially for industries which widely use PFCs, even though such use is a relatively small component of the overall consumption or release of PFCs in the world.
An effluent gas treatment apparatus comprising a catalytic reactor having an effluent gas inlet and an effluent gas outlet, and a heater adapted to heat an effluent gas in the catalytic reactor, whereby effluent gas introduced through the effluent gas inlet is treated while flowing through the catalytic reactor to the effluent gas outlet.
A substrate processing apparatus comprising a process chamber comprising a substrate support, a gas supply to introduce a gas into the chamber, a gas energizer to energize the gas to process the substrate and thereby generate an effluent gas, and an exhaust system to exhaust the effluent gas from the chamber; a catalytic reactor having an effluent gas inlet to receive the effluent gas and an effluent gas outlet; and a heater adapted to heat effluent gas in the catalytic reactor, whereby the effluent gas introduced through the effluent gas inlet is treated while flowing through the catalytic reactor to the effluent gas outlet.
An effluent gas treatment method comprises (a) flowing an effluent gas over a catalyst, and (b) during (a), heating the effluent gas.
A substrate processing apparatus comprises a process chamber comprising a substrate support, a gas supply to introduce a gas into the chamber, a gas energizer to energize the gas in the processing of a substrate and thereby generate an effluent gas, a catalytic reactor having an effluent gas inlet to receive the effluent gas and an effluent gas outlet, and a heater adapted to heat the effluent gas in the catalytic reactor.
A method of processing a substrate comprising (a) placing a substrate in a process zone, (b) providing an energized gas in a process zone to process the substrate and thereby forming an effluent gas, (c) flowing the effluent gas over a catalyst; and (d) during (c), heating the effluent gas.
An effluent gas treatment apparatus comprising a scrubber capable of treating an effluent gas, the scrubber comprising a surface having a pH of at least about 8, a heater adapted to heat the effluent gas, and a catalytic reactor having an effluent gas inlet and an effluent gas outlet, whereby effluent gas introduced through the effluent gas inlet is treated while flowing through the catalytic reactor to the effluent gas outlet.
A substrate processing method comprising (a) placing a substrate in a process zone; (b) providing an energized gas in a process zone to process the substrate and thereby forming an effluent gas; (c) passing the effluent gas over a surface having a pH of at least about 8; (d) flowing the effluent over a catalyst; and (e) during (d), heating the effluent gas.
A substrate processing apparatus comprising a process chamber comprising a substrate support, a gas supply to introduce a gas into the chamber, a gas energizer to energize the gas to process the substrate and thereby generate an effluent gas, and an exhaust system to exhaust the effluent gas from the chamber; a catalytic reactor having an effluent gas inlet to receive the effluent gas and an effluent gas outlet; a heater adapted to heat the effluent gas in the catalytic reactor; and a controller adapted to control the heater to heat the effluent gas in the catalytic reactor to a pre-selected temperature, whereby effluent gas introduced through the effluent gas inlet is heated while flowing through the catalytic reactor to the effluent gas outlet.